


Hardware Heartwarmer

by mansikka



Series: Under Observation [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Human Castiel, M/M, People Watching, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-10 14:54:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8921428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka





	1. Chapter 1

“...what was that?”

“'s nothing—”

“Lemme see—”

“Sammy, I swear—

Chloe raises her head slow as two voices, one delighted and one defensive, come to an abrupt halt with the clear sounds of a scuffle breaking out. She groans, hopes this isn't a repeat of when Old Mr Johnson and Clifford got into a shoving match down the paint aisle over the remaining can of butterscotch vanilla because the two neighbors had both decided on the color for their porch and were in a constant war of one-upmanship.

At a particularly loud thud Chloe sighs, pushes back from the counter and stands up, listening to the scuffle getting louder and hoping to god that wasn't the sound of the shelving rocking with the force of the argument. It always happens when Dad's out and leaves her to look after the place, she thinks, shoulders sagging; and if only he wasn't so afraid of technology and would get a camera in the store so he could see these things for himself. It'd be quite entertaining, she thinks, and would sure stop him looking at her as though she is crazy every time he leaves her alone for the day and mayhem breaks out.

Chloe balls up her fists, draws herself up to her full five feet and comes out from behind the counter, preparing to yell if she has to. Then there's an oof that follows what sounds like an almighty shove, and then a full-blown howl of triumphant laughter that has her quickening her step. She turns the corner and comes to a skidding stop, narrowing her eyes at what she's seeing and cursing internally for yet another story that no one else is going to believe.

There is a giant of a man with obscenely beautiful hair, and he's extending his arm straight up over his head with what looks like a leather wallet in his hand. There is another man, who is in no way short either, desperately scrabbling up the other one in an attempt to probably get said wallet back. It reminds her distinctly of the time her brother Christopher had a growth spurt and thought it hilarious to steal her Pokemon cards and hold them above her head, just out of reach. Chloe concludes her sympathies are with the shorter one, but as nothing looks in danger of being broken doesn't feel it's really her place to interfere.

“Fine,” the shorter one announces huffily and steps back, but not before shoving the other one in the chest and turning away from him. “Got nothing to hide, anyway—”

“So why're you getting all defensive then, huh?” The other one retorts, still keeping his arm extended as though he knows a ploy when he sees one. Chloe's still at the top of the aisle unnoticed though raises an eyebrow in their direction, folding her arms tight over her chest and continuing to watch.

“'m not. Just don't know why when I pull out my wallet you gotta be all peering over my shoulder looking. Not like my cards're any different 'n yours,” and the shorter one gives a roll of his shoulders that says actually the words he's saying don't match what he's really thinking.

“Uh huh,” the taller one agrees, clearly agreeing with Chloe's internal musings, “Then why are you getting all uptight and not letting me look?”

“Why do you need to look?”

“'cos,” the tall one says with glee, and Chloe clicks on to the fact that this must be the one that is Sammy. “I know what I saw,”

“So? 'that's the case, why you gotta look?” not-Sammy counters, and, Chloe thinks, it's a fair argument. He gives an angry jerk of his shoulders and idly reaches out to straighten up something on the shelf as though he needs the distraction. Chloe keeps watching as Sammy finally brings his hand back down, folds the wallet open and just beams at its contents.

“...Aww...”

“Sammy—” and not-Sammy seizes the opportunity, snatches out his hand lightning quick to retrieve what is his. But Sammy's quick too, and they're grabbing and shoving at each other all over again. It's like, Chloe realizes, when she walks past the kindergarten playground when she's on her way to the post office. Or, she amends, smiling with a kind of misplaced affection, her nephews Matt and Michael. Seven-year-old twins that made Christopher lose his hair years ago, and something Chloe will always be secretly grateful to the two of them for.

“Didn't I take this one of you two?”

“Maybe. But—”

“It's cute—”

“It's not cute, Sam, it's—”

“Dean. Seriously,” Sammy says, a solemn hand over his heart in contrast with his wicked smile, “you're allowed to carry pictures around with you. Just as much as I'm allowed to mock you for it,” And Sammy – Sam, Chloe amends, thinking the name suits him a little more – is then grinning at Dean so hard it's like his face might actually split right before Chloe's eyes. She hopes it doesn't, suddenly queasy at the thought, she's never been good with the sight of blood.

“Don't know why you gotta make a big deal outta it,” Dean grumbles, this time snatching the wallet back with ease, and looking at the aforementioned photo for himself. Chloe sees his expression soften, and even thinks she sees him trace his thumb over it, which makes her heart soar and her own smile about a mile wide. Definitely cute, judging by the sweet little look now stuck on his face.

“'m not,” Sam counters, laughing. “I'm making a big deal outta you making it a big deal,”

“Yeah well,” Dean says, huffy, looking at the photo for a final time then closing the wallet and shoving it back in his pocket, “'s a good photo,”

“Cas is kinda photogenic,” Sam agrees, making vomiting noises as he does which has Dean swiping out at him yet again to shove hard in the chest. “'s a good job when he's gotta make up for being in the shot with you,”

Hey now, Chloe thinks to herself, misplaced defensiveness bristling, Dean's not exactly not easy on the eye either. Out of the two of them, in fact, she thinks, giving both Sam and Dean a sort of discreet once over, Dean would win her over any and every time. There's something so very adorable underneath that gruffness that makes her feel like he'd fight demons off for you but then not be adverse to a good cuddle right afterward. Definitely looks like he could take a good photo, she decides, thinking Cassie's got to be one hell of a lucky girl, whoever she is.

“Must be 'cos he's an angel,” Sam says then, which has Chloe defensive on Dean's behalf all over again. Is Sam insinuating this Cas—and oh, she realizes, wide-eyed, Sam said _he_ : Casper, maybe? she thinks—is Sam insinuating Cas is an angel for putting up with Dean? Because, Chloe decides, huffing to herself, that's just cruel. Even if she doesn't know Dean, or Cas, or even this Sam. But then Sam's holding his hand out and nodding sagely and amending it to, “Was. Was an angel,” which gets Chloe's mind in overdrive thinking Sam's now accusing Dean of corrupting Cas, and then about the ways he might have done that, and Chloe's embarrassed at herself for her thought process, so starts backing away.

“Yeah, well,” Dean says, with no defense of himself against any of Sam's accusations. Sam, she concludes as a direct result of that, must despite his height be Dean's younger brother. Which somehow endears Dean to her even more and has her smiling to herself as she makes it around the corner of the aisle and stops just out of their sight – not that they appear to have even noticed her so far, she laughs to herself. “Kinda a good thing for me he doesn't look like Chuck,”

Chuck? Chloe thinks, is Chuck Cas' dad? Must be that Cas has his mother's genes in that case, if he's half as beautiful as he must be for the adoring way Dean had been staring at the photo of him.

“Are you telling me that God himself isn't enough to tempt you?” Sam teases, full of mirth, leaving Chloe thoroughly bewildered. Sam's into Dean's father-in-law? That's... all kinds of weird. Still, Chloe thinks, shaking her head at herself for her speculation and suddenly with her mind back on Sam's hair wishing she'd remembered to bring that ribbon she needed to finish off the cushions she's making for her store. She could pop next door and get the ribbon, she thinks, the joy of having your own handicrafts store right next door to your dad's hardware store. But then she might miss out on this bizarre conversation, she decides. Then tells herself off for not having thought about them in terms of paying customers. And what was she thinking? Oh yeah, Chloe nods to herself, if this Cas is attractive it fits that his dad must be too – especially as Sam's just referred to him as God. Just... obviously not Dean's type. Right.

“Like I don't got everything I'd ever want,” Dean says, and wow is his voice full of pride, and love, Chloe smiles to herself, an idle thought for her Robert who she's sure is about to propose to her if Dad would just stop glaring at him for long enough. It's not Rob's fault that when he was helping in the store he sanded against the grain of that cabinet instead of along it and messed up hours of her dad's meticulous work. He's a librarian, she thinks fondly, warmth seeping into her at the thought of seeing him after work. Good with his hands in other ways, and then blushes at herself for the thought.

“...Aww...” Sam is saying again, and this time Dean seems not to take the bait, instead turns away and walks in Chloe's direction making her hurry her way back behind the counter and make herself look busy. She listens to the two of them now practically amiably wandering around the store, occasionally mumbling things at each other about _not sharp enough_ and _won't go all the way through_ and _man if they had these in silver how easy would it make our lives_? Which confuses the hell out of Chloe given the aisle they're down.

Chloe listens as a ringtone sings out, overhears snatches of a conversation that has to be between Dean and Cas. It has to be, she smiles, sighing to herself. The tone of Dean's voice is so different, so sweet with him compared to how it was with Sam just now.

“Yeah, we're nearly done,” she hears, followed by a hum of agreement and a reproachful laugh. “Yeah, still been too long, I know. Thought it'd only take us the day, but... I'll make it up to you, 'k?” Chloe tries to speculate on what Cas might be saying, then strains to hear as Dean clearly turns away as he talks. “Yeah, I know. I do. Soon, okay? I miss you; and I hate leaving you when you get sick but we kinda had to. Yeah, I know you feel better, but still. Hate it. Yeah, Cas, I know it's just a cold and you've had millennia to—” And then Dean's clearly cut off again and is now snorting with laughter. “Okay, yeah, good point. Anyway. How 'bout I pick up some stuff on the way back and make you that soup you like, huh? Me 'n you'll hole up for a while,”

Out of nowhere Sam walks past the counter and Chloe is flustered, grabbing at the half-made cushion nearest to her and pretending to inspect her work. Sam seems oblivious though, she decides when she chances a glance up. He's peering at Dean around the corner and smiling at him, looking so very, very happy for him it makes Chloe tear up to see it.

“Yeah,” she hears Dean say, and then she hears what she can only describe as a very dirty chuckle. “Yeah, that sounds good. Sounds really good. I like that idea a lot,” Chloe has to bite back her own laughter at the gagging noises Sam's making just a couple of feet in front of her, but is reprieved when Dean says his goodbyes, and Sam walks towards him, straight into a glare for his troubles, making Chloe roll her own eyes in amusement and look away.

Chloe looks up abruptly at the scuffle that breaks out yet again between them, this time as Sam tries to rip the phone from Dean's fingers whilst they both have their hands full of things they're presumably planning on buying. Sam plays dirty, clearly, because however he manages it he gets the phone, and is grinning down at the screen and awwing all over again.

“Seriously?” he's saying, ridiculously delighted, “Got him as your screensaver on here too? What, you think you're gonna forget what he looks like or something? Even with waking up next to him practically every day of your life for god knows how long now?” Sam is without mercy as he teases Dean, holding the phone out of his reach again and grinning wider as Dean struggles for it. Chloe is seconds away from calling out and telling him not to be such a jerk, but then the phone pings to announce the arrival of a message, and clearly karma comes to call.

Sam looks at the screen automatically, because hey, who wouldn't do that if the message tone had just gone on a phone already in your hand? She can see him dragging his thumb across the screen, clearly opening the message, and thinks well that's a bit shitty; you'd look, but you wouldn't look, if it wasn't your phone. Right? But Sam's face transforms before her and it's like it's in slow motion. That delighted grin freezes, his eyes widen and his lips reshape themselves into something that's horrified. Sam actually backs away from the phone in his hand, spluttering and making all kinds of indignant noises, then turns and shoves it hard into Dean's chest, stomping away from him then coming back to drop the things in his hand down on the counter then turning abruptly away again, calling out a gross over his shoulder as he does.

Chloe holds her breath, looks as Dean's eyes follow Sam for a couple of seconds before he rolls them, then swipes at the screen himself and looks. “Huh,” he mutters to himself, his lips pressing together in a smirk and another hum low in his throat showing he clearly approves of what it is he's seeing. Chloe watches him stare and angle his head from side to side at what she assumes must be a picture with an increasingly more calculating look for a few more seconds and then sighs, clearly happy. Then is walking towards her and depositing the things in his own hands on top of the pile that Sam's left, and pulling out his wallet.

They make small talk as Chloe rings up his purchases and does her best not to strain her neck attempting to look at the picture in Dean's wallet upside down when he slides out his card. But then she's bagging up his things and being caught up in his smile as he says goodbye to her, and seconds later the doorbell announces his exit, leaving Chloe smiling after Dean for a little longer before she's turning back to her half-finished cushions and shaking her head to clear it, happy for the interlude but ready to get back to work.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little something extra added as a second chapter ;) 
> 
> x


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the end of the series now until/unless something silly(er) comes to mind to add; since there was a fair amount of love for Caleb I thought I'd add a little update on all the people who let us take a little glimpse at Sam, Dean and Cas through their eyes.

Amy (Coffee Shop Corners) has found herself another coffee shop corner to sit and eat cake in, still losing herself in the conversations of those around her instead of ever finishing her book. She's changed cafes, principally because after Sam, Dean and Cas' visit the last one had seemed quite dull. That, and Toby, that cute barista she'd been ogling there had scrawled his name and number on a napkin the very same day, and since they've been dating he accuses her of being too much of a distraction if she ever comes in. Which Amy really likes the thought of being but is kind enough to stay away.

Steven (At the Bakery) is preparing cakes for a wedding or six, although those other six pale into insignificance compared to the spectacle that is bound to be his sister Sara's. She wants a four-tiered monstrosity of a red velvet cake for hers and is forever in his bakery prattling on about flower arrangements and dress fittings and her frustration at the company designing her wedding invitations. Something to do with using non-gender specific pronouns so everything reads something like 'invited guest and _their_ invited guest' rather than his or her. Steven can't really see what the fuss is about if he's honest because using _their_ seems not only logical but more economical; he's sure Sara's kicking up an unnecessary fuss in pre-wedding jitters but she is still his baby sister and he still wants to give her the world. Though often smiles in sympathy at her fiance David wondering if he truly knows what he's gotten himself into.

Matthew (From the Pews) is on a diet. Last week, when he'd bent to tie a shoelace halfway down the main church aisle his shirt button had popped off with such force that it ricocheted off the adjacent pew, and when he stood back up again, prodding at his shirt and realising just how much his stomach was protruding he'd realised enough was enough. Mrs Templeton has insisted on helping by providing _skinny muffins_ which he's sure might actually help; if he didn't keep eating the entire batch in one sitting.

Chloe (Hardware Heartwarmer) is finally, finally engaged. Robert proposed to her one Sunday evening when they were side by side in her parent's kitchen washing the dishes after sharing a meal. Dad had surprised them both by being overcome with emotion and tearfully welcoming Rob into the family; it was somewhat anti-climactic since she'd been bracing for his protests for the longest of times, but then Rob had slid the most beautiful ring imaginable on to her finger and Chloe had forgotten all about it.

Gillian (Pet Shop Persuasions) has just served a man who's purchased a guinea pig and enough guinea pig paraphernalia to keep even the most diva-like guinea pig suitably entertained. So much so that Gillian herself has just got back from helping him take some of the bags to his car – a huge black beast that she's sure will startle the poor little thing once the engine is revving but since the customer is always right she hadn't said a word. He looked so pleased with himself, even insisting on handling each and every one of the guinea pigs in turn before choosing one that he liked; the guinea pig in question was tan colored and one of only two in the entire section that had blue eyes. Said it reminded him of someone. Gillian thinks that's a little bit odd but then she's had quite a few odd characters coming in the past few weeks so isn't too phased, and besides, she's going out tonight with Roger, the new neighbor who'd rescued her last week when she had a runaway chinchilla. She expects good things.

And Caleb (Auto Shop Inspections), sweet Caleb finally found himself a boyfriend. After dejectedly taking himself for a drink the evening after Dean and Cas had left the garage he'd walked through the door of his local bar, slipped on the wet floor having not seen the sign warning him about it, and if it hadn't been for Nathaniel's heroically discarded drink and quick reflexes Caleb likely would have landed on his ass. As it was, he landed in Nathaniel's arms, and after blinking up at him a little dumbly and losing himself immediately in Nathaniel's smile decided that was exactly the place for him. Nathaniel is besotted with him; most mornings Caleb wakes stilled wrapped up in his arms, grinning to himself at his sheer luck.


End file.
